Photo Swap

I have decided to use my make up artist as the image for Vanity Fair instead and swap the Musician shoot for Good Weekend. As the photo's fit the requirements better this way.

Corporate Shoot

Farming Business

For my business portraits I used a farming business to be a bit different. I shot the 3/4 portrait of the book keeper/accountant of the business and the group of the 4 partners who own and run the business.

3/4 length portrait

Group Portrait

Mag Shoots

Magazine Shoots Vanity Fair/Good Weekend

First Shoot - Make Up Artist - Vanity Fair
I really liked how the second picture turned out and it is my preference to use as one of the magazine covers for Vanity Fair as per the brief. I had a lot of difficulty with flash, I don't particularly like it but it did work out well after a while.

Second Shoot - Forensic Scientist 
For this shoot I followed around a forensic scientist and got a few good shots for another magazine shoot. Dusting for fingerprints is a lot messier than I thought, defiantly not like CSI.

Third Shoot - Fashion Designer
So for this shoot I got a fashion designer to model for me. As with most fashion designers she is a very quirky girl and this was a very very fun shoot.

Last Shoot - Musician
For my final shoot for good weekend magazine was a musician. I like live shots rather than set ups but that was the brief and this is what I came up with. I am leaning more towards using the first image for assessment.

Location Inspiration

Corporate Portraits

As there was a change in my plans due to my first business being too busy for me to do a shoot with them, I had decided to use a farming business for these portraits instead since that is what I know and where I grew up. Some of these photo's gave me the inspiration for my corporate shoot.

Vanity Fair Cover Shoot
For this shoot I am still going ahead with my plan of shooting a musician. Vanity fair has fairly even lighting on most of the images below.

3 Good Weekend Mag Shoots Inspiration
So far I am still going ahead with my fashion designer, forensic scientist and makeup artist, Inspiration below...

Task 6

Off Camera Flash

Sorry this took a bit of time but I recently had a family member pass away and since then have been fairly busy with arrangements. But I am back now and here is task 6 off camera flash.

I used my little sister as my model for this shoot since she loves photo's being taken of her ever so much :). I took these photo's using my Canon 580EX II speedlite.

1. -Take a Portrait outdoors in the sun and expose for the subject.

ISO 100, F 3.5, 1/320 sec

-Expose for the sunlit area.

ISO 100, F8, 1/250 sec

- Use flash to balance the light

ISO 100, F8, 1/250 Sec flash at 1/2 Power

- Reduce Ambient exposure by 2 stops

ISO 100, F16, 1/250 Sec Flash at 1/2 power

2. - Take a portrait in a shaded position

ISO 100, F6.3, 1/30 sec

- Balance the ambient exposure with flash

ISO 100, F6.3, 1/30sec flash at 1/2 power

- Reduce the ambient exposure by 2 stops

ISO 100, F10, 1/30 Flash at 1/2 power

3. - Photograph a portrait indoors

ISO 640, F4.5, 1/13 sec

- Balance ambient light with flash

ISO 640, F4.5, 1/13 sec flash at 1/2 power

- Reduce Ambient light by 2 stops

ISO 640, F6.3, 1/13 sec flash at 1/2 power

Doing this task made me appreciate flash a little bit more, although I still rather using available light when taking portraits.

Location Proposal

Corporate Portraits

Group – For my corporate shots I am going to be shooting the management team who run Uni Gardens Accommodation. I want the portrait to look inviting but also professional as it is the corporate side of an accommodation building. I will use locations in and/or around the building as it is currently in the process of renovations. I will be using my Canon 7D and either/both monoblocs and a 580EXII Canon Speedlite also reflectors if necessary.

Individual – This shot I will use the building manager of Uni Gardens and locations in and around the building mentioned above.  Equipment as above Canon 7D, Monoblocs/speedlites, reflectors.

Creative Portrait

For this portrait I will be shooting a musician. Locations will be in and around the ACT area, not 100% set on a specific location but looking for bridges, textured bricks/backgrounds there are a few I have in mind already. My inspiration for this image which I will adapt a look from is below. I will try and use a similar lighting approach to the photo below (of course only using 1 person instead of multiple). Equipment Canon 7D, 580EX II Speedlite, possibly monoblocs (although I am going to try not to have to use the monoblocs), reflectors.

Environmental/Editorial Portraits

1 – I will shoot a forensic scientist (in gear etc) inspiration below, an editorial shot from Sunday Life and Sydney magazine. Sort of the same set up as below except a forensic in their environment or recreation of a lab if we cannot get access to their lab. I want to crop the portrait in sort of ¾ length in portrait orientation, but I am going to try and use similar lighting as the photograph below. Equipment Canon 7D, monoblocs, possibly speedlites, reflectors.

2 – I am going to shoot a make-up artist head and shoulders type of portrait in portrait orientation. The person I will shoot for this does make-up as a hobby she has also worked on movie sets assisting other make-up artists. Artist will do her own make-up and the portrait will fall toward a glamour style shot. Locations around Canberra none specific yet, but either plain and simple backgrounds or backgrounds with a bit of texture e.g. cement walls, painted buildings etc. Equipment Canon 7D, monoblocs, speedlites, reflectors. Inspiration below, relatively even or soft directional lighting to be used for this portrait.

3 – This shot will involve a person who is very passionate about fashion. It will be a playful portrait possibly wearing some of her designs or making one. Props could include tape measures, sewing machine, pins and pin cushion etc. Location will be infront of graffiti wall either near Belconnen skate park or the Canberra Olympic Pool, other graffiti walls may be used but focusing on trying to use either of the previously mentioned locations. Equipment Canon 7D, 580EX II speedlite, reflectors, would be great to use monoblocs but for the locations mentioned power might be an issue. Inspiration below. Lighting will be either relatively even (not flat… even) or utilise dark shadows to emphasise the subject and costume.

Task 5

Careers in Photography

Q's and A's in wedding photography:

Brad Wilkins - American Wedding and Lifestyle photographer.

How did you come up with your packages and the prices?

I started low when I first started up to build up my clients, portfolio, and word of mouth campaign.

Do your prices change with different photographers? and how do you decide on a price?

My prices fluctuate a little bit but only upon my client’s budgets, day of the session, and time of year.  I’m willing to give my clients a little break on the price if their wedding falls on a Friday or during the winter months.

How many weddings/portrait/events sessions do you do a year?

I try not to take on any more than 15 weddings.  I do some sessions depending upon my wedding workload but my concentration is on wedding photography.  With that said I maybe do around 15 individual sessions a year. Senior, Family, Infant, etc…

What is your most popular package?

Wedding: Full day coverage, engagement session, digital images, copyright release, personalized wedding website.

How did you get into wedding photography?

A friend (mate) of mine noticed a lot of my photos that I took traveling and just around messing around. (Taken with my point and shoot camera ‘Pentax wp’ -best camera ever).  She asked me if I would be interested in photographing her wedding and I said I would love to.  She covered the rental equipment and gave me a couple hundred bucks for my time and it snowballed from there.  The following year I shot 2 more weddings then around 8-10 the next and then I found myself having to limit myself to around 15 each year since.

Did you do any courses in or study photography?

Have not taken any classes, should have taken a class on learning to use my camera better, and would have saved a lot of time in post processing.

How did you make it into a successful business?

I bust my ass during a wedding.  Every shoot I try to capture the best images and moments that I can. I spend a considerable amount of time in post process making sure my clients look the best that they can.  I’m pretty laid back as well and don’t take up a lot of the wedding party’s time during the day posing them.  I capture most of the photos on the fly and don’t intrude on the couple’s day by taking them out of it for photos.  my clients friends and family notice this during the day and I believe that’s how I get the referrals that I do.

How would you describe your job?

I would say fun but stressful. I get nervous before every wedding and I think it’s mainly because of the pressure that I put on myself to not miss the great moments that fall within the day.

How do you advertise?

Website and online media.  Up until this past year I would say 85%-90% of my work came through direct word of mouth referrals.  This past year I was asked to join “The Knot” and I have been getting a lot of traffic through them.

What equipment do you use?

Started out with a Canon 40d 16-35 lens and finally purchased a 7D last year and can’t believe I was shooting with anything else. I also have a 35-180ish lens that  rarely use.  I have a canon flash (exII I believe) and a couple other off camera flashes, triggers, etc.

How much time do you spend in post-production?

Typical wedding I spend around 12-16hrs photographing the event, and it takes about another 12hrs to do the post processing.

What software do you use?

Photoshop

How do you produce your prints/albums?

I really don’t produce too many of them but when I do, I farm out the printing.

How many photographers do you employ?

Just myself and the occasional second shooter if requested by the couple.

Do people request specific photographers?

Just myself

Do you use a shop front/ have you found it helps?

I don’t have a shop front.  I believe I have lost a job or two because of it and it would be nice to have a studio but it just doesn’t fit within my overhead at this time.

How long have you been working as a photographer?

I believe I started in 2009.

How old is your business?

4-5 years

Brent Foster Photography

How did you come up with your packages and the prices?

A lot of trial and error on top of calculating what we need as a business to be successful.

How many weddings/portrait/events sessions do you do a year?

About 40 weddings/25-50 portrait sessions, and 20-40 events (photojournalism)

What is your most popular package?

10 hours, 2 photographers

How did you get into wedding photography?

I started as a photojournalist (12 years) and then kind of fell into weddings three years ago.

Did you do any courses in or study photography?

I studied photojournalism in college.

How did you make it into a successful business?

We strive to provide an amazing client experience, and use word of mouth as a a large source of marketing.

How would you describe your job?

I am a storyteller with a camera.

How do you advertise?

Online

What equipment do you use?

Canon 5d Mark IIIs and a ton of lenses.

How much time do you spend in post production?

We have a full time editor in the studio, so I cull and crop the images, and he does the colour correction. I spend about 2-3 hours and he spends about 6-8

What software do you use?

Photomechanic, photoshop, lightroom, final cut pro

How do you produce your prints/albums?

We outsource prints, and design albums in the studio and print them through vision art.

How many photographers do you employ?

2 plus our editor.

Do you use a shop front/ have you found it helps?

yes. We have a beautiful studio in an old bank building and live above it. It helps, but is definitely not necessary

to get started.